Switchgear apparatus



Jan. 13, 1948. c. P. WEST SWITCHGEAR APPARATUS Filed Dec. 11, 1943 a 0 l 2 EEEEWJXV z 0 v it! a a m a INVENTOR ATTOR Y enema Jan. 13, ms

SWITCHGEAB APPARATUS Charles P. West, Forest nrus, Pa assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 11, 1943, Serial No. 513,985

3 Claims. 1

My invention relates, generally, to switchgear apparatus and, more particularly to disconnecting contact members and connectors suitable for use with draw-out circuit breakers and the like.

In switchgear apparatus of the draw-out type it is necessary to provide for disconnecting the removable units, such as circuit breakers, from the power conductors and it is customary to utilize disconnecting contact members of the plug and socket type which comprise a plug or stud member fixed in the switchgear cell or housing and a socket member carried by the removable breaker or other apparatus unit. Provision must be made for connecting the power conductors to the plug members in the housing.

An object of my invention, generally stated, is to provide a combined contact stud and conductor connector which shall be simple and efilcient inoperation and which may be economically manuiactured and installed.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide a combined contact stud and connector which can be utilized with conductors of different sizes.

Another object of my invention is to provide a combined contact stud and connector which can be utilized to connect one or more than one conductor to a contact stud.

A further object of my invention is to provide a connector suitable for joining together condoctors or diiierent sizes.

Other objects of my invention will be explained fully hereinafter or 'will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

in accordance with one embodiment of my invention, one end of a contact stud is shaped to receive a power conductor which is clamped in a yoke along with the contact stud by a clamping block. The clamping block is reversible, thereby permitting the connector to be utilized with conductors of difierent sizes.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of my invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view partially in side elevation and partially in section, of switchgear apparatus embodying my invention;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are enlarged views in end elevation, showing a connector and contact stud constructed in accordance with my invention and utilized with conductors of difierent sizes.

Fig. 5 isan enlarged view, in side elevation, of the contact stud.

Referring to the drawing,

(Cl. INF-269) Fig. 1, the structure shown therein comprises a cell or housing In for a removable circuit breaker unit The cell I0 is provided with a door l2 and an'extensible track l3, thereby permitting the breaker unit I l to be withdrawn from the cell on rollers It in a manner well known in the art.

The breaker unit II- is provided with contact members [5 which engage fixed contact members I6 at the rear of the cell when the breaker is fully inserted into the cell, thereby electrically con necting the circuit breaker to power conductors or cables IT. The contact members |6 may be mounted on an insulating panel I 8 disposed at the rear of the cell l0. Each contact member l6 may be secured to the panel H! by means of a nut or bushing is that may be screwed or pressed onto the stud portion 2| of the contact member.

In order to simplify the structure of the contact member l6 and to facilitate connecting the conductor I! to the contact member, one end of the contact stud 2| is provided with a plurality of conductor engaging surfaces 22 of a V shape, as

shown in.Figs. 2, 3 and 4, and a yoke 23 is dis-.

posed on this end of the stud 2|. A clamping block 24 is slidably disposed in the yoke 23 and guided by the sides thereof.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the block 24 is reversi ble and is provided with conductor engaging surfaces 25 and 26 on opposite sides thereof. The surfaces 25 and 26 are also of a V-shape, the surface 25 being suitable for receiving relatively small conductors, as shown in Fig. 2, and the surface 26 being suitable for relatively large conductors, as shown in Fig. 3. Recesses 2'! are provided in the surface 25 for receiving the ends of screws 28 and similar recesses 29 are provided in the surfaces 26 for the screws 28 when the block 24 is inverted in the yoke. The screws 28 are thread ed through the yoke and press the block 24 against the conductor ll, thereby securing the conductor between the block and the stud 2i and retaining the yoke on the stud, as shown in Fig. 2.

As shown in Fig. 3, the connector may be utilized to secure two conductors ll of a relatively large size to the stud 2|, the block 24 being inverted in the yoke 23. The bottom of the yoke 23 is of a V-shape for receiving the lower conductor If desired, the arrangement shown in Fig. 3 may be utilized as a connector for securing two conductors or cables together without connecting them to a fixed stud or terminal member. In this case a spacing member (if a shape similar to the conductor receiving end of the stud 2| may be substituted for the stud member.

and particularly to In Fig. 4 a single conductor ll of a still larger size is connected to the stud 2|. Thus, it will be seen that the connector may be utilized with conductors of various sizes. Also, the conductors may be disposed either above or below the contact studs or both above and below. The conductors may also be placed at the sides of the studs 2| by rotating the yokes 23 through 90 degrees.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that I have provided a combined contact stud and connector which greatly facilitates the making of electrical connections to apparatus removably disposed in enclosing cells or housings. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the connector herein described may be utilized for numerous other applications in the electrical field.

Since numerous changes may be made in the above-described construction, and different embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a connector for connecting a conductor to a contact stud having a plurality of conductor engaging surfaces of a V-shape at one end thereof, a connector yoke disposed on said end of the stud, a reversible clamping block slidably disposed in said yoke and guided by the sides thereof, said block having conductor engaging surfaces of a V-shape on opposite sides, said surfaces being of different areas, and a screw disposed in said yoke to engage the block, thereby securing the stud and the conductor together and retaining the yoke on the stud. r

2. A connector for electrical conductors comprising a yoke having a conductor engaging surface of a V-shape, a reversible clamping block 40 slidably disposed in the yoke, said block having conductor engaging surfaces of a V-shape on opprising a yoke having a conductor engaging surface of a V-shape, a reversible clamping block slidably disposed in the yoke, and guided by the sides thereof, said block having conductor engaging surfaces of a V-shape on opposite sides thereof, said surfaces being of different areas for receiving conductors of different sizes, a spacing member having a plurality of conductor engaging surfaces of a V-shape on opposite sides thereof, and a screw disposed in said yoke to press against said block, thereby securing the conductors and the spacing member together.

CHARLES P. WEST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 80 Number Name Date 1,783,062 Trencham Nov. 25, 1930 970,087 Murray Sept. 13, 1910 2,086,424 Koehler July 6, 1937 1,741,804 Zilliox Dec. 31, 1929 35 2,232,602 Grace Feb. 18, 1941 2,308,528 Luecke Jan. 19, 1943 2,287,762 Rogofl June 23,1942 1,531,917 French Mar. 31, 1925 2,031,296

Alsaker et a1 Feb. 18, 1936 

